Axl Rose has said that there is no chance that he and his former Guns N' Roses bandmate Slash will reunite – saying that one of the pair will "die" before such an event could occur.

The frontman told Billboard that the dispute between the pair would never be healed. He went on to say that Guns N' Roses, in its current guise, could tour in the near future.

"In regards to Slash," he said, "I read a desperate fan's message about, 'What if one of us were to die, and looking back I had the possibility of a reunion now'. My thoughts are, 'Yeah, and while you're at the show your baby accidentally kicks a candle and burns your house down, killing himself and the rest of your family.'

"Give me a fucking break. What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is. Those decisions were made a long time ago and reiterated year after year by one man.

"There are acts that, once committed between individuals, they are what they are. To add insult to injury almost day after day, lapsing into year after year, for more than a decade, is a nightmare. Anyone putting his own personal entertainment above everything else is sickening."

Speaking about a possible Guns N' Roses tour, he added, "No plans, but there's talk. Management and our promoters are really excited with the offers coming in both here and worldwide."